The United States today announced a US$5 million climate change project for the Pacific in the next five years.

The announcement was made by US Ambassador to Fiji, Judith Beth Cefkin at the Pacific Community (SPC) Conference underway in Alofi.

“The US is very committed to work with fellow members of the Pacific Community to increase resilience of the peoples of the Pacific particularly adapting to and mitigating global climate change and promoting sustainable inclusive economic development

At least four million people in the Pacific face hunger, water shortages and risk of disease this year and next due to droughts and erratic rains, influenced by climate change and the likely development of a ‘super El Niño’.

Early lessons gained from a regional project to strengthen the link between National Meteorological Service and the communities indicate the need to communicate weather information and how it impacts the population in a simple and timely manner.

Part of the strategy is to allow people at the community level to take ownership of the information and empower their people to make choices that will protect them in any extreme weather event.

Samoa's Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Health Leausa Dr. Take Naseri confirmed that Samoa is now facing an outbreak of the Chickungunya virus and the public is cautioned to join the national campaign in reducing breeding sites for mosquitos, the carriers of the virus.

Last Saturday the Ministry received the results of the 20 suspected cases sent to the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) in Noumea for testing.

“Of the 20 specimens tested, 08 came back positive and 14 negative,” Leausa said in a press conference.